Dunleer teams revel in Leinster relay success
DAYS three and four of the Leinster Indoor Track & Field Championships were held at the weekend in the brand new Abbotstown Indoor Arena in Dublin and the Dunleer AC juvenile, junior and masters athletes revelled in the facilities of this new home of athletics.
Fifteen-year-olds Conor Matthews and Danny O’Brien got Saturday off to a great start in the 1500m with seventh and eighthplace finishes in a field of 20 Leinster athletes, clocking 4:33 and 4:41 respectively (hand-timed).
Next up were the relays and the Under-17 Boys 4x200m team of Finn Reilly, Neal Hodgins, Conor Matthews and Anthony Dillon put together two great races to qualify second from their heat and then place a brilliant third in the final.
The Girls Under-12 team at Dunleer are better known for cross-country success, with Erinn Leavy winning the Under-11 National A Championship back in December and Lucy Sheridan recently finishing second in the National B. But they showed that their speed on the indoor track is a force to be reckoned with as they blazed around the 200m circuit.
Out of 25 relay teams, the quartet of Vanessa Brennan, Aibhe Reilly, Lucy Sheridan and Erinn Leavy just missed out on a place in the final six by 0.99sec.
The Girls Under-14 team - Aeyla Orr, with Niamh Mathews, Carol Ann Logue and Grace Fitzpatrick - ran superbly to finish third in their heat, just short of a final place.
On Sunday Emma Cheshire was a worthy winner of the Junior Ladies long jump title, with Santis Kaugars winning gold in the shot putt and 56lb for distance at Over35 level. Karen Costello stormed to victory in the Over-40 3k in 10:36, a personal best over the distance, and in the same age group Iveta Kaugare was third in the shot putt.
Grace Foley was third Over-45 in the 400m, Helen Cheshire won the Over-50 3km, Pat Fitzpatrick came second in the Men’s Over40 3km and Jacqueline Matthews was second Over-45 in the 800m.
The Senior Ladies relay teams were first in the 4x200m and second in the 4x400m and there were great runs by Mr and Mrs Murray, with Audrey fourth Over-45 in the Ladies 3k and Garrett fourth Over45 in the men’s equivalent.